By David Cain (Author’s Note: I’m very thankful to Scott Cain for his enormous help in tracking this subject and allowing his research to be shared here.) The very first props acquired for the Museum of Juggling History were a set of three clubs made by the first retail juggling club maker, Edward Van Wyck. It all started with an …
Cigar boxes by Yusuke Inaba from Japan |IJA Tricks of the Month
This series is part of eJuggle, the IJA’s online juggling resource: https://www.juggle.org/ejuggle. ■ Name: Yusuke Inaba ■ From: Japan ■ Juggling Experience: I have been juggling for 17 years since I was 16 years old. I participated three times in the Japan Juggling Festival Championship as part of the cigar box team “Alron Children.” ■ Current Activities: While working as …
Drop Everything Podcast 150: Howard Jay Paterson
Drop Everything Podcast #150 (92:00) Host Dan Holzman talks with special guest Howard Jay Patterson about his career with The Flying Karamazov Brothers and his new Book “Jester Prince.”
15 Years of the IJA Regional Competitions
By: Esteban Vélez. Natalia Díaz and Diego Blandón, winners of the IRC Colombia 2025. Photo: Manizales International Theatre Festival. The 50th edition of the International Juggling Association Regional Competition (IRC) took place on June 20th at the Ensenada State Arts Center in Baja California, Mexico, as part of the Ensenada International Circus Festival. It coincided with World Juggling Day. To …
Jump Rope Training: The Juggler’s Essential Guide to Cardiovascular Fitness
By Francisco Javier Rodriguez Bernal While strength training is certainly crucial, cardiovascular fitness is a physical imperative that no professional juggler can afford to neglect. The demands of high-level stage performance require a consistent training plan focused on both improving and maintaining endurance. A juggling routine or act demands sustained physical effort while manipulating various props and performing under the …
Joe Cook and the 5 Indian Clubs
By: Esteban Vélez. “…we must love our work so much that the time we have to be away from it hurts.” Joe Cook. Joe Cook was one of the most successful vaudeville performers. His name can be placed alongside artists like W.C. Fields or Fred Allen. He could do, among other things: sing, dance, act, juggle balls and clubs, …
Vin Carey – Juggler, Collector, Magician, and Clown
By David Cain Vin Carey (1898-1975) was a charter member of the IJA. He was a talented juggler, magician, and clown. He was also an important collector of juggling props and historical items. Let’s start by taking a look at a detailed biography of his life up until early 1965, which was published in the February 1965 IJA Newsletter. ****** …
Bobby Jule Obituary
By David Cain It is with a heavy heart that we announce that Joe Pegnato, better known to the juggling and entertainment world as Bobby Jule, has passed away on May 31st, 2026. Bobby was the last surviving charter member of the IJA and was the headliner at the first IJA Convention in 1948. Joe Pegnato was born in 1924 …
Chasley Products – Novelty Juggling Beanbags
By David Cain Chasley Products was established in 1981 by Barb and Charlie Brister of Seattle, Washington. Their original “Flying Penguini,” was designed by Barb to give Charlie something fun to juggle with. This led to a huge variety of themed beanbags as Charlie quit his previous career to focus full-time on novelty juggling beanbags. The company closed in 1998, …